JAD wrote:FedEx. A little more expensive, but immaterial overall. I think pickup adds $4 to the bill.
JAD wrote:Yes, almost double. But it's tax deductible and service is flawless.
I bill my clients for out-of-pocket costs like FedEx. I don't try to internalize those in the fee or account for them. They're billed on a separate line item and at cost.
ATSMAN wrote:Over the decades I have heard people complain that lawyers charge by the page for copying and they charge for mailing etc. People feel that they nickel and dime you to death. So to avoid those complaints, I have priced mailing and copying costs for taxpayers that choose to mail me hard copies and expect to receive hard copy of their tax return.
Joan TB wrote:But if you are choosing the most expensive option for mailing
ManVsTax wrote:I'm merely recovering an out-of-pocket expense to a third party at cost. I don't think any reasonable person would take issue with that.
JAD wrote:Long ago I used USPS. Then it happened....the return was lost. When it showed up on the client's doorstep many days later, we were all relieved, of course. I decided that the situation was ridiculous. I don't want to be associated with that level of service. The final step in the client's experience of me is receiving the tax return. I got rid of the stamp machine, signed up with FedEx, never looked back. I always know when the package will be delivered. The price difference between USPS and FedEx is about 3 minutes of billable time. It is completely immaterial. I do not charge the client. I use FedEx for my own peace of mind.
FedEx is fast, the tracking actually works, and the employees at the counter don't have a grudge against humanity.
At my prior employer, one client asked us to mail the 1099s to their recipients. It was about a dozen mailings. We added the cost to his invoice and he threw an absolute fit. Obviously, he was not a reasonable person
In my area, I have to actively take steps to make sure that items are not sent FedEx, but USPS and UPS are usually fine. I'm aware that some areas have poor USPS service and others have poor UPS service.
missingdonut wrote:Also, every person should sign up for USPS informed delivery.
ATSMAN wrote:As I said before many people have an issue with those small itemized charges. When I mail W2 or 1099-Misc to taxpayers my default method is First Class mail and I price that in my fees and never had those issues.
Frankly wrote:Why? Does that prevent mail from being lost? Aid in tracking down lost mail?
It can help identify where an issue in mail delivery has arisen if it's not using a tracking number -- if a piece of mail gets lost in between the sorting center and the mailbox. It's also great if a person is gone for a day or two to know what's in the mailbox.
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